Death toll from 'concerning' disease outbreak grows, Jetstar to pull all flights from US, Uber trials new feature in Australia

Yahoo

15-05-2025

Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Thursday. Jetstar will stop flying to the US in just months after 19 years. It comes amid concern from tourists considering trips to the US.
The death toll from Queensland's melioidosis outbreak has reached 31 after the death of a Townsville resident. Health authorities say the spike in cases and deaths is "concerning".
Sydney will be the first city globally where Uber trials a new feature that will see customers offered restaurant discounts if they dine in. The trial will look to rival the app Eat Club.
Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day.
A decision to put 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout into an Under-23 event has been labelled as "just soft" by US sprinter Noah Williams.
He claims the best talent, regardless of age, is always put into the open category in the US. There is a general belief the Australian team are taking a cautious approach with Gout Gout to ensure he is eased into the global spotlight.
So what do you think? Should Gout Gout limit his races against the world's best or should he just go for it?
Have your say below.
Jetstar will stop flying to the US in just months as demand for flights to the country slowed.
The budget airline has flown to Hawaii for 19 years but from October that will stop, allowing Jetstar to focus on other international routes.
It comes as concerns grow about travel to the US, with reports of border crackdowns on overseas arrivals following Donald Trump's election win.
Uber is launching a new dine-in feature, with Sydney chosen ahead of other international cities for its trial location.
Dine Out will allow restaurants to offer discounts to customers for certain times of the day, such as quiet periods when they have fewer bookings.
The feature will compete with Eat Club which is already based around the idea, but Uber will have the added option of booking a vehicle to take users to the restaurant.
'Winter is always going to be quieter but maybe this year with Uber's Dine Out technology it will be different,' said Catalina Rose Bay Owner Judy McMahon, who has joined up to be part of the new feature.
Australia's Restaurant and Catering Association said the move was "very welcomed" and would hopefully bring much-needed revenue to venues.
Authorities in Queensland remain concerned over a deadly outbreak of soil-borne disease melioidosis, with the death toll rising to 31.
Townsville Public Health Unit director Steven Donohue said it was likely deaths would continue when case levels were this high, with more than 200 this year alone.
"As you can imagine, this is concerning," Dr Donohue said, the ABC reported.
"It is a pretty nasty disease, particularly when it happens to the sick and elderly."
The outbreak has been linked to the extreme wet weather Queensland has faced, with health authorities seeing cases slowly drop with drier weather, and they now hope that trend will continue.
Residents are again being reminded to wear face masks while cleaning up muddy areas to avoid contact with the bacteria.
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A decision to put 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout into an Under-23 event has been labelled as "just soft" by US sprinter Noah Williams.
He claims the best talent, regardless of age, is always put into the open category in the US. There is a general belief the Australian team are taking a cautious approach with Gout Gout to ensure he is eased into the global spotlight.
So what do you think? Should Gout Gout limit his races against the world's best or should he just go for it?
Have your say below.
Jetstar will stop flying to the US in just months as demand for flights to the country slowed.
The budget airline has flown to Hawaii for 19 years but from October that will stop, allowing Jetstar to focus on other international routes.
It comes as concerns grow about travel to the US, with reports of border crackdowns on overseas arrivals following Donald Trump's election win.
Uber is launching a new dine-in feature, with Sydney chosen ahead of other international cities for its trial location.
Dine Out will allow restaurants to offer discounts to customers for certain times of the day, such as quiet periods when they have fewer bookings.
The feature will compete with Eat Club which is already based around the idea, but Uber will have the added option of booking a vehicle to take users to the restaurant.
'Winter is always going to be quieter but maybe this year with Uber's Dine Out technology it will be different,' said Catalina Rose Bay Owner Judy McMahon, who has joined up to be part of the new feature.
Australia's Restaurant and Catering Association said the move was "very welcomed" and would hopefully bring much-needed revenue to venues.
Authorities in Queensland remain concerned over a deadly outbreak of soil-borne disease melioidosis, with the death toll rising to 31.
Townsville Public Health Unit director Steven Donohue said it was likely deaths would continue when case levels were this high, with more than 200 this year alone.
"As you can imagine, this is concerning," Dr Donohue said, the ABC reported.
"It is a pretty nasty disease, particularly when it happens to the sick and elderly."
The outbreak has been linked to the extreme wet weather Queensland has faced, with health authorities seeing cases slowly drop with drier weather, and they now hope that trend will continue.
Residents are again being reminded to wear face masks while cleaning up muddy areas to avoid contact with the bacteria.